The proliferation of fiber-optic communications has lead to its wide spread implementation and use in industry. As a result, fiber-based communication systems have progressed toward utilizing multi-fiber connectors, such as fiber-optic ribbon connectors, for high density interconnects, rather than using electrical copper connectors as in the past. The increased use of these multi-fiber connectors, particularly in backplanes or in other situations in which the connectors are recessed and difficult to access, has created a need for a system that can adequately inspect the optical fibers while the connectors are still mounted.
It is well known in the industry that the endfaces of optical fibers must be kept clean and undamaged within fiber-optic communication systems. A fiber-optic endface is the cross-sectional surface that is created when an optical fiber is cut for termination. Failure to keep such endfaces clean and undamaged results in signal loss because of scattering effects at the endface of the optical fiber. As bandwidths increase, particularly with the rise of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology, the need for cleanliness at the fiber-optic endface is even more important. Further, since fiber-optic communication systems handle heavy bandwidth traffic, the cleanliness at the fiber-optic endface is particularly important because the laser power driving the fiber-optic communication signals is typically higher. When a high-powered laser strikes a small piece of debris on the fiber-optic endface, the debris burns leaving a film of soot on the fiber-optic endface that degrades communication signals. As a result, the “dirty” fiber-optic endface at the interconnect point must be taken out of service and repaired.
However, backplane interconnects that accept fiber-optic arrays and communication system devices are notoriously difficult to access for maintenance, cleaning and repair. When a particular multi-fiber connector in a backplane needs service, a technician typically removes a module from a slot in a rack-mount system. A module is typically a printed circuit board, or “daughter card,” that interfaces with a backplane in the rack-mount system when “plugged in.” The technician then needs to inspect and clean the multi-fiber connectors located at the back of the empty slot from where the module was removed. A typical slot is 1.5 inches wide and 12 inches deep and rather difficult to access for service. Other than removing the multi-fiber connector from the backplane altogether, another way to view and clean the fiber-optic endfaces in the connector is to use a video microscope. Obviously, because of the narrow and deep nature of the empty slot, most microscopes are not manufactured to be used in this situation.
Some microscope manufacturers have designed “long reach” video microscopes to reach back into this cavity for visual rendering and cleaning purposes. However, these microscopes are unable to precisely locate and focus upon each fiber-optic endface situated within the multi-fiber connector. Because each and every fiber-optic endface needs to be inspected, it is essential to have a microscope capable of focusing upon each individual fiber-optic endface in the ribbon connector. Current long reach microscopes tend to “jump” quickly across the multi-fiber connector which holds the fiber-optic endfaces in a linear array. Consequently, these microscopes tend to skip over some fiber-optic endfaces. Furthermore, at high magnification it is very difficult to control the speed at which these microscopes pan across the multi-fiber connector. Thus, it cannot be assured that each and every fiber-optic endface has been focused upon and inspected properly.
Therefore, a need exists for a microscope capable of focusing upon each fiber-optic endface situated within a recessed multi-fiber connector.